Free Resource
Website Planning Checklist for Small Businesses
Everything you need to prepare before building or redesigning your business website. Work through each section so nothing gets missed.
Free Resource
Website Planning Checklist
Everything you need before building or redesigning your business website — branding, content, SEO, and launch steps in one actionable checklist.
1. Brand & Identity
- Logo file in PNG and SVG format (high resolution)
- Brand colors — primary, secondary, and accent (hex codes)
- Fonts — 1-2 fonts for headings and body text
- Tagline or slogan (if you have one)
- Brand voice — formal, casual, friendly, authoritative?
2. Business Basics
- Business name, address, phone number (NAP — must match Google Business Profile)
- Hours of operation
- Service area or delivery radius
- Professional email address (yourname@yourdomain.com)
- Social media links (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)
3. Content Prep
- Homepage headline — what you do, who you help, in one sentence
- About page — your story, mission, team bios
- Services or products — names, descriptions, pricing (if public)
- 10-20 high-quality photos (team, workspace, products, completed work)
- Customer testimonials or reviews (with permission to use)
- FAQ — 5-10 common questions your customers ask
4. Pages to Plan
- Home — hero, services overview, social proof, CTA
- About — story, team, mission
- Services / Products — what you offer with clear descriptions
- Contact — form, phone, email, map, hours
- Blog (optional but recommended for SEO)
- Portfolio / Gallery (if visual work)
- Pricing (if transparent pricing fits your business)
5. SEO Foundations
- Target keywords — 5-10 phrases your customers search for
- Google Business Profile claimed and verified
- Page titles and meta descriptions for each page
- Alt text planned for all images
- Local keywords in content (city, neighborhood, service area)
- Sitemap and robots.txt (your developer handles this)
6. Technical Setup
- Domain name purchased (or know what you want)
- Hosting decided (Vercel, Netlify, or traditional host)
- SSL certificate (HTTPS — most hosts include this free)
- Google Analytics or Vercel Analytics installed
- Contact form connected to your email
- Mobile responsive design confirmed
7. Legal & Compliance
- Privacy policy page
- Terms of service (if applicable)
- Cookie consent banner (if using analytics/tracking)
- ADA accessibility basics (alt text, contrast, keyboard nav)
8. Launch Checklist
- Test all forms — do they actually send?
- Test on mobile, tablet, and desktop
- Check all links — no 404s
- Verify Google Business Profile links to new site
- Submit sitemap to Google Search Console
- Set up redirects from old URLs (if redesign)
- Announce the launch — email, social, in-store signage
9. Post-Launch
- Monitor Google Search Console for crawl errors
- Ask 3-5 customers to leave Google reviews
- Publish first blog post within 2 weeks
- Set up monthly check-in — update content, add new photos
- Review analytics after 30 days — what pages get traffic?
Need help with your website?
I build fast, modern websites for small businesses in Kansas City. If you have questions about any of these items, I am happy to help.
Get a free consultation